Wow, one of the finest automobiles ever produced! Thank you Jay for the tour of the 1932 Cadillac V-16. Better than a Faberge' egg and the finest carriage combined, with an engine that runs as smooth as a Swiss watch. Many thanks!!
this is a really top notch channel. Very good. The advantage the V12 had over the inline 8 or a v8 was stability- versus the inherent instability of an inline 4 or its Vee version the v8 generally firing order 1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2 which creates a torsion moment and non uniform distribution of load longitudinally along the crankshaft. Cadillac's genius was the V16 smooths out the v8 By simply inverting the firing order of the rear V8- equal but opposite torsional forces cancel out- and it becomes v12 smooth with an extra 4 power pots. I would love to know the firing order of the V16 I would guess it would be 1-8-9-16-3-6-11-14-4-5-12-13-2-7-10-15 The torsion moment and longitudinal stress is non existent inline six, firing order 1-5-3-6-2-4 and its obvious twin 6 V12. A flat 12 would be near turbine smooth. My Jaguar XJS 5.3 litre V12 was a turbine, and the dropping of the XK6 for a rather ho-hum Ford V8 ruined Jaguar IMHO- the William Lyons' idea was grace, pace and space- not grunt, punt and shunt. A flat 8- would be entirely in keeping with company philosophy especially race pedigree superb- but that requires engineering. However for on flat or boxer engines the Porsche flat 4, 6 and the famously smooth Porsche 771 8 not to forget the Continental/Lycoming flat aero 8.
Hi Jay Thanks for another great video. There's a RU-vid video of a drag race between a 1932 V16 Cadillac and a 1934 Packard with the epic 9-main bearing straight 8. The Packard took the Cadillac in the race, and in the re-match.
I saw that years ago I thought that was hilarious it’s the most cylinders but the slowest drag race ever.. One day I would love to breathe slow cars like that but like vw beetles and stuff like that..
I've got to say that this Cadillac is one beautiful car, but I really like the look of the Pierce Arrow and the Marmon. Once again it's almost impossible to decide. It seems some people had money during the depression or Cadillac may not have survived. Also, I can see their priorities with the clock being in front of you and the speedometer way,way towards the passenger side. The engine could probably pull down a building. And that colour, midnight blue I'll call it is perfect. It really sets off the bright work. Thanks Jay awesome production as usual. See yah.
12:13 The last time I saw a strap like that was on a 1960s VW bus, but in 1930, they were probably more common than the steel door-check levers that are now ubiquitous. Also notice the lack of front vent windows, which were a fairly new feature in the mid 1930s.
I just went back there I actually just got home I shot six incredible cars from that place I’m going to cover them all eventually. Can’t wait to go back
the reason they ran so smoothly was that even though they are phased at 180 degrees, which does cause some oscillation, the compression was very low. any multiple of 3 like 6 or 12 will always run smoother as they are phased at 120 degrees than any multiple of 2 like 4, 8 or 16 as they are phased at 180 degrees
Interesting , Cadillac Engineers at the time believed that the 45 degree angle between the blocks was the best possible for smoothness .There was a 'Madam X' sedan not too far from me many years ago , I can testify that when it rolled by it sounded more like a very quiet Electric Motor than a gasoline engine - just a quiet , deep pitched hum .
Do you mean that it used a 180 degree crankshaft? You might well be right and that is indeed interesting. The engine was based off of the Buick straight 8 (2 8 Buick 8 cylinder blocks) spaced at a very logical 45 degrees for a 16 cylinder vee engine. The Buick straight 8 used a 90 degree crankshaft. Enjoyed your intelligent comment!
@@derrickrees8895 45 degrees makes sense, since each 8 cylinder bank is already self-balancing, with the pistons rising 2 at a time for evenly spaced "buffs" (a bang and a puff combined). By spacing them 45 degrees apart, they could interleave the buffs between the sides, keeping the engine balanced and even firing, with each crank pin shared by two cylinders.
Hi Jay!: What an opportunity to get up close and personal with a BEAUTIFUL V-16 Caddy! Was in Canton quite a number of years ago and wish I had known about the car museum! WYR #1 Cadillac for sure! #2 Going to be the Marmon! Always liked the styling on that one, and was a little more powerful, if not as smooth. I think if you ever get so do a video on the Marmon, the experience will be different. Stylish as the Marmon is, I believe that it is smaller and a fair bit less luxurious inside. Wanted to pick the Packard bad in #1, but MAN a V-16 Caddy!
I’m so going back to that museum tomorrow.. they have a 1940 Packard Darren I believe that’s going to be the episode for Thursday the next episode is going to be 1978 mercury grand marquis then the engine episode it’s neck and neck and then it might be the packer Darren they have at least eight Packards I want to cover them all =)
Thanks Jay. Great video and I get a great kick out of reading the comments. I’m no car guy but I love the sheer ostentation of this era. Hoover had coined the phrase “splendid isolation” and America lived in a hedonism that was unrivaled. It’s crazy to think alcohol was illegal. Cadillac every time. They are unbeaten in their attention to detail. Bentley may have had superchargers but Cadillac was about presence. Rolls Royce was a pale Johnny come lately only surviving because of the air industry.
That's a lovely car! It's interesting that you found a quoted acceleration time for 10 - 60 mph. In those days, with non-synchromesh transmission, gear changing was avoided if at all possible, and the most prized cars would pull from 10 mph in top gear. That's why a 10 - 60 time would be quoted. The Cadillac at that time had actually introduced synchromesh, but I guess the convention was still used. On the air filters, maybe it did have them (early days for air filters too), though far more important for a car like this would be that those canisters functioned as induction silencers. It's interesting to see a horn-like affair on the top of the generator. This would presumably be air induction to keep the generator cool. It must be about the last year for a manual spark advance. A good trick I've seen on cars of this era and quality is starting the motor with the spark advance. You turn off the motor, and presumably one of the cylinders will have a compressed fuel/air mixture and be somewhere just after top dead centre. Retard the spark fully, turn on the ignition and then advance the spark, and there's a good chance it will spark and kick that cylinder to life, followed by all the rest.
I was amazed I was able to find that information at all a lot of these cars from the 30s those detailed specs are just lost to time. I have some big plans I would love to do a segment and you thought your car was fast and put a really fast car muscle car up against the Honda Odyssey minivan the Honda odyssey will be everything except for a few cars from the 60s as far as the 30s cars go a lot of them didn’t have synchromesh transmission and you had to wait for the RPM and the travel speed to be synced up to sliding into a gear some where better than others.. to this day the hardest vehicle that I’ve ever driven was my friends 51 Ford with a non-synchromesh transmission you have to rev match double clutch you have to do everything to get those gears the line up proper and it doesn’t make sense because a 40 Ford is easier to drive than that I’ve driven a model a is easier to drive than that truck was
I agree with you. 'Crash' gearboxes were retained in commercial vehicles surprisingly late. I can only assume that they were reckoned more durable? Ford car gearboxes may have been a bit weak. Around 1971, my friends and I paid $20 for a 53 Ford for use as a paddock car. It had a total absence of first gear, though we got plenty of use fron 2nd and 3rd!
Clientele of luxury cars in the 1930's could select from the standard factory catalog of body styles or ship chassis to custom coachbuilders for the ultimate in personalization. Brunn & Co. of Buffalo, New York, was a favorite for open-top automobiles. Judkins Co. of Merrimac, Massachusetts, and Waterhouse of Webster, Massachusetts were famous for lavish interiors befitting a well appointed drawing room. Limousines from Willoughby Co. of Utica, New York, were renowned for having the most comfortable seating in the automotive industry.
Great information thank you so much for sharing it there are so many nice gems at this museum I’m gonna try to go back on Tuesday. I would really love to compare an earlier version V16 to a later version V16 which would be totally possible at this museum.. They also have a 1940 packard as well as some other cool packards
This car is truly stunning. In some ways, it is a giant middle finger in the face of the great depression. This car, and its contemporaries, are what the one percent owned during that time. If you had $100 thousand in capital in 1932 that would be over $2 million in today's money. If you had that kind of money you probably had a driver/mechanic who took you to the finest restaurants and speakeasys in town with the most beautiful women. Don't forget, alcohol was still illegal in 1932. My vote is for the Cadillac all around with runner up being Packard and Pierce Arrow. Well done Jay.
Thank you so much for that correction, that was one part that I forgot to go back and fix.. this video at one point was almost a half hour long I had to get rid of some stuff because my software program won’t save it if it’s too long
I knew where one was in Iowa sitting in a field and seeable from the highway. It was being allowed to rot away by the farmer who owned it and it was not for sale nor any parts of it. So sad. The deep blue color of that example is simply gorgeous!!!
9:42 I think the negative space ahead of the radiator is for crank-starting. Looks like a crank-start port at the radiator bottom under that nice chrome cap. 10:53 Love those double-duty door hinges. WYR 1. Pierce Arrow 2. Packard
What an absolutely stunning automobile!!! The pivoting lights, the adjustable suspension, etc. Many think those came later (center light on the Tucker for example) but they date back even earlier. Later, and I always find it strange, the Cadillac introduced another V16 that was a flathead. Awesome content as always - thank you! Choices? 32 Caddy and 32 Packard (because it’s always the Packard). ~ Chuck
Hey Chuck glad you dig this episode lots of cool stuff coming in the next coming weeks. Sorry for the delayed response I wanted to make sure that I could read all of it lol I’ve been crazy busy just trying to shoot enough content for next month I’m not gonna be able to go anywhere I got a lot of stuff going on I’ll address it in a video soon =)
@@What.its.like. I was swamped too, it’s why I missed the premiere. I helped my son move from Philly. I thought of your channel during the trip as I passed by the Classic Auto Mall on the way there and back. Unfortunately, no time to stop and look. Thanks for all the effort you put into your channel ~ Chuck
You say Victorian era when Edwardian would be more appropriate seeing that the Victorian era ended in 1901 and the automobile was completely in its infancy and the Edwardian era did continue the poshness with a more modern slant. Enjoy your videos very much. Mr. Picky is craling back in his cave.
@@What.its.like. This is understood which is why Mr. Picky pokes his nose in as long as it's not out of joint, but if it ever is, please let him know so he can realign his cogs. Thank you :) 😊
Impeccable quality and a real stunner!🤩 I would take the Pierce and the Packard though, they just seem a little less over the top somehow. Cool video 😎
Automotive perfection in every glorious detail! Stunning color! Opulent without being vulgar. Oh, my purring eyeballs, the fat cats definitely took their guilt trips in style. Wonderful presentation, Jay. Any idea what the square pedal to the right of the accelerator is? WYR: I would rather have them all, and I'm not going to apologize for being greedy after this jaw-dropping excursion into the Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous!
I forgot to mention that is the starter the key only turns it on there is quite a bit of a starting procedure to this. Gary (curator ) said even if I got it started it has a lock when it’s in reverse as anti-theft device. I love this car but they also have 8 packards possibly more going back to do those =)
Hope one day you'll be able to check the Marmon 16, I think if i remember GM poached the engineer for it, wouldn't surprise me. First one Pierce, second one Mormon.
Great choices I would love to cover Marmon they had other cars besides the B 16 I would love to cover an eight they had a junior series I can’t remember what the name was off the top of my head the goal is to cover all the manufacturers from 1900 to 1960.. that’s a really tall order but we’re here for the long-haul.. at least one car from all those manufacturers
@@What.its.like. Oh I know, they made excellent cars besides the 16, I actually saw one in person. There junior brand they made was called the Roosevelt, after Teddy, saw one of those in person too.
The Viking was actually a 'serior' brand with an '8', in that it was more expensive than the Olds, priced more like a Buick - which at least in 1930 still had a 6)t. Much more expensive than the Marquette for example. Thousands of pages written on the V16, won't try to add anything - except to say General Lyons had several and at least one Marmon 16. Of the two, the Mamron had far superior performance and a different, more modern, character. You can still catch some of his cars at the Lyons Air Museum (they rotate). Nethercutt - and Gilmore are excellent places to visit for these and similar vehicles of this type. Given the relative survival rate, it's clear considerably fewer of these were scrapped for WWII than some the other heavy classics. This is of course not a town car but an all weather phaeton (i.e. convertible sedan). I think they were all Fisher bodied, standard factory and not Fleetwood. Pilot Ray driving lights were often fitted to cars of this class, not a Cadillac exclusive. Packards had ride control too - the labeling caused some titters and was changed: "In - hard" Out - soft" WYR: 1) Cadillac, 2) Marmon (big surprise)
Ah man that’s one I’d love to do.. I want to cover them all up until 1970 something don’t get me wrong I’m into all eras its just I really the classics =)
I doubt there's chrome on this car. I believe it would all be nickel which I think is actually richer looking than chrome. This is one gorgeous car. If I ever came into money, I think I would have a vintage car collection.
@@What.its.like. I was going to buy a 1959 Metropolitan. Even though this was the peak of the chrome years, all the bright work was stainless steel. Just a little fact I thought you might find interesting.
@@What.its.like. Hey you know what? I was wrong! I just watched Jay Leno on the Cadillac V16 and it actually is chrome! I knew that nickel was the predominant metal used in Brightwork at the time, but it seems Cadillac was one of the first to actually use chrome! So, you were right and I was wrong on this. Sorry about that.
Maybe the B stands for barge? Like Road Barge? I don't know much about Cadillacs, but this is a nice car! Didn't Al Capone have one that was bullet proof?
This is awesome video buddy I like those models but not my favorite because they are awkward setup the way they feel.. in later years they were more fancier..I drove a 1926 Buick the one I sent you a picture of and they are hard to get inside..
My grandfather bought one of these cars. His wife, my grandmother backed over my infant father with it. Who survived to be run over by a John Deere tractor while flirting with the girl driver. Yep, been run over by some of the finest American iron. 👍
@@What.its.like. My grandfather took his young family on the road peddling a concoction to delouse chickens. They were paid primarily in chickens. He received a cease and desist letter from Phizer (I think) for patent infringement. One of many (business) ventures my grandfather pursued to afford a Cadillac in the early 30s.
My guess is the rear storage compartment is sized for a golf bag rather than a toolbox. I am surprised there isn't a tool kit somewhere along the running board.
Pierce Arrow and the Packard Nothing says "let them eat cake" better than buying a depression era caddy and driving it down the street through the need work signs and the breadlines! It's honestly hard to fathom that they continued to manufacture throughout the depression era. Definitely a beautiful automobile from one end to the other both inside and out. But considering what we know about the depression era , a person would honestly have to be pretty cold and heartless to blast down the road in one of these while millions of people are starving and out of work. Not to mention that most of the people that were in these probably had chauffeurs taking them around. Also, you don't need an armrest to help open and close the door when you have a chauffeur who's going to open and close it for you LOL
Yeah it’s crazy It is a gorgeous automobile but the sitting position was weird I don’t know how else to really describe it it wasn’t very big but yet there was enough room for you not to feel claustrophobic at the same time so much space in the back.. I’m gonna go back there this week I can’t wait they have a packard darrin and I started shooting that but ran out of time
The driver's seat is for the chauffer. The window in the front seat is to keep the chauffer from hearing your conversation. The head room is because everyone wore a hat. For the rich, there had to be room for a Top Hat.
Just couldn’t get over how tight the front was I was in Walter p Chrysler’s imperial yesterday and that car had more space than this one in the rear and super tight for driver
Ah! Someone needs to look up "Victorian" yes! "Edwardian" followed "Victorian" and that ended just before WW1. Speaking of automobile fashion and the depression era, Eleanore Roosevelt wanted to demonstrate that she was mindful of the hard times many were suffering so she got a $400 Plymouth to get around in. Of course she had a $2000 (just guessing) custom body installed on the Plymouth chassis after the factory body had been removed! That proved she was one with the people!
Was offered a drive in this one but it ended up storming and it’s a half a million dollar car on a bad day, it’s not a car I would want to drive but a packard... and that might be a thing that happens I’m going back they have a 1940 packard darrin
I’m not sure but it would definitely be interesting Even if I was offered to drive that car that’s one of those cars I don’t think that I would drive because it’s worth more money than I’ve ever seen in my lifetime. And I wouldn’t want anything to happen while I was driving it. No Packard on the other hand if I was given the opportunity to drive the Packard Darren I would totally do it. Or cord 812 I’d I wouldn’t give up an opportunity to drive a Packard that is for sure..
It was a stellar car do you have a second generation Cadillac v16 as well which is going to get its own episode I would love to compare the two because they are two totally different cars the later one has almost a flat head but not only that is 134° V 12 it’s a very interesting engine and you would need a ladder to work on it cause it sits way down inside..
In the 50s neighbor had a.30s lincoln Willoughby limo v12 smoked a lot looked similar was flathead believe marmon an dusenberg were avail w Willoughby bodies was chaffier driven on sundays size of a firetruck open front 😅
Suuuuch a gorgeous car, in all bodies. And talk about bragging rights with 16 cylinders! Still, I wonder how annoyed Cadillac (and other marques) were about the Duesenberg J’s 265 and SJ’s 320-400 horsepower out of their incredible straight 8. 🤤. I’ve yet to hear people directly compare driving a Caddie’s V16 vs Duesy’s J / SJ, besides Leno’s comment that Cadillacs, Pierce Arrows, Packards, Rolle-Royces are quieter, more refined cars for old money. Duesenbergs are loud and raucous for new money like Hollywood.
Maybe one day this channel will get there there’s some cars that if I was given permission I wouldn’t drive this is kind of sort of one of those cars because even on a bad day this is like a $500,000 car.. or some where crazy like that they have a second gen I would love to compare the two
I need to make a point on something you repeated a lot. when it comes to the driver seating, at the time the car was made most people were lucky if they were half your size. most were not. great video, even if it is a gm car. the other brands i prefer.
jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/327589 I remember in history class Abraham Lincoln towered over everybody and he was 6 foot five that’s how tall my stepson is I’m 6 foot 2, Honestly think it’s because they put hormones in grain/grass that animals eat and then we eat the animals so we consequently get bigger..
This car was built in the 30s and is better made than some of the luxo barges today ….. it’s sad to see Cadillac give back being the top auto in the world to being a warmed over Chevrolet
Cars are appliances now this was a machine this is when they build cars they don’t really build cars anymore they build appliances like vehicles that look like cars but are more Computer than anything else..
@@What.its.like. I Always heard the More Cylinders the Smoother the Ride,Jags with the V12.Jay Leno ,I think ,Drove one of those V16 and He said the way it accelerated was very smooth,You should get in touch with Jay, He would get a kick out of you !
@@What.its.like. He would like that you call yourself Jay too,He’d get a kick out of how excited & descriptive you get and the toota Lou too.He would Bust on you,But would be Funny as He isn’t mean spirited
I want to collaborate with Lou one day leno would be a bucket list thing I need to get to California so much I like to do out there. Honestly I will collaborate with anybody so if you’re reading this and you have a RU-vid car Classic Car channel reach out as long as you live on the other side of the world lol
I'm surprised that more was made of the vast quantity of really expensive looking leather that wraps much of that interior. I doubt the V8 models had anything like that. This seems more ornate inside than other US cars of that time. I'd still take the Lincoln out of all of them if I were seeking such a thing.
That was a bucket list thing to be able to cover that car.. might get to do something really cool I have to call Gary and talk to him thank you for reminding me =) The 1930 Cadillac v8 had a stellar interior as well ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-kd-P0Tw041c.htmlfeature=shared
The V is a classification for engine configuration The block is in a V formation. 📸 Look at this post on Facebook facebook.com/share/V1QArFKxKdvGtNrK/?mibextid=K8Wfd2
